3 Scary Myths About Vaping Debunked

Oct 30, 2016

Vaping has been a lifesaver for millions of former smokers in the United Kingdom. But there are still some pervasive myths about it that need to be busted wide open like a jack-o-lantern the day after Halloween. These are three of them:

Myth #1: Ecigarettes Explode!

While this isn’t exactly a myth, there are only three situations in which vaping devices can overheat or suffer faults. The first is if you are still using a cheap, first-generation device (e.g. one of the e-cigarettes that look like cigarettes). The second is if you’ve purchased a cheap, imported device without the “CE” mark, meaning it hasn’t been manufactured to proper safety standards. The third is if you charge your device on a different USB charger than the one which was supplied with your device; if you lose your charger, purchase another from the same manufacturer to be safe, or purchase another device.

Myth #2: Vaping is just as harmful as cigarettes

Public Health England debunked this myth in a recent report, assuring the public that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking. However, that 5% has been blown out of proportion in recent months by irresponsible reporting by the media on studies which contain low sample sizes or improper methodology (such as measuring chemicals on a dry vape, which every vaper stops as soon as it starts because it’s intolerable). Nobody has ever claimed that ecigarettes are 100% safe - it is impossible to know the long-term effects until more studies are done. But the eliquid ingredients of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and flavourings must all be of pharmaceutical or food grade standards to be compliant with the UK Tobacco Products Directive.

Myth #3: Teenagers use vaping as a gateway to tobacco

Action on Smoking and Health estimates that around 200,000 children under 18 start smoking tobacco each year, one-third to one-half of which are likely to become regular smokers. Regular use of ecigarettes is rare and usually only with children who have previously smoked or were currently smoking. While a number of studies have come down on either side of this hot-button issue, ASH’s data is consistent and followed-up year over year.